A reference signal (RS), also referred to as a pilot signal, is a known signal provided by a transmit end to a receiving apparatus. The reference signal is mainly used for channel estimation or channel measurement.
In the prior art, common methods for ensuring orthogonality of RSs of a same type or different types that are from a same transmitting apparatus or different transmitting apparatuses include time division, frequency division, and code division. For example, to ensure RS orthogonality for a plurality of user equipments (UE) in uplink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, time-frequency resources used by a plurality of paired UEs in MU-MIMO fully overlap, and do not overlap with a time-frequency resource used by another UE at all. When used resources do not overlap at all, the time division or frequency division manner is used to ensure that UEs do not interfere with each other. Alternatively, when used resources fully overlap, an orthogonal sequence or orthogonal cover code (OCC) manner is used to ensure orthogonality of RSs of different UEs.
Ericsson proposed a technical solution of block transmission in a contribution R1-167080 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization. In the technical solution, an RS of each UE is split into a plurality of blocks, and orthogonality of RSs of different UEs is ensured within a block, so as to ensure overall orthogonality. The present invention is intended to reduce a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and a raw cubic metric (RCM) after an RS is split into a plurality of blocks.